On the other team that I play, I am a defenseman. I noticed many times that when the guy I was supposed to cover succeeds in scoring, it's when I lost track of him. Right after the goal, I see him uncovered with no one near him. That's embarassing. Each time I get hypnotised by and obsessed with the ball. I always think, "Where is that ball so I can put my stick on it!!!". They scored! Too late...

Here is what I think I should do: Always keep the man at a stick-lenght (at most), keeping myself between him and my goalie. I forget about the ball to focus on the man. If the ball is loose close to me, I'll go for it trying to get to the ball before the other does. If my teamate is in the other side of the net, I'll pass the ball behind the net if I think it's too dangerous to clear the zone. If the other guy is in front of the net, I'll try to push away if he gets too close to the net especially if he's trying to block the goalie's view. If he's about to touch the ball, then I lift his stick with my two hands making sure he won't be able to hit the ball.

Other question: When you lead by two goals with 10 minutes left in the game, do you ask your defensemen to stay near the red line to avoid breakaways from the other team? I think they should, and when they get the ball, they should shoot it as hard as they can in the other team's zone. In other words, the team should keep the other team prisoners in their own zone.